Let me preface this post by stating that I am not an MD. I dont care, particularly, about whether CFS is a ‘real’ disease or psychosomatic or a catch-all category for people MDs dont know how to treat. Sorry. So if you want to bitch about CFS, pro or con, dont do it in this post.
What I care about is retroviruses.
The behavior of this retrovirus in humans does not make sense as a causative agent for CF or prostate cancer.
It does not make sense.
Thus I think its an effect, not a cause.
Let me give you an example– Human Herpes Virus 8.
The seroprevalence of HHV8 in the general US population is meh, 3.5%.
The seroprevalence of HHV8 in AIDS patients in the US shoots up to ~25-35%.
OMG! 3.5% in normal population, 35% in AIDS… HHV8 causes AIDS!
Just like 3.7% of the normal population is XMRV DNA positive, 67% in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome… XMRV causes CF!
Just like 4.0% of normal prostates express XMRV proteins, 23% in prostate cancer patients… XMRV causes prostate cancer!
We know why “HHV8 causes AIDS!” is nonsense, because we know what really does cause AIDS– HIV-1. But that example demonstrates why the “%normal” “%sick” comparison can be a trap. If you have to make up new rules of virology (transmission, cell tropism), new rules of epidemiology (how is a philharmonic orchestra having a retroviral epidemic? Orgies? Theyre all sharing heroin needles?), new rules of cancer biology (why arent prostate cancers clonal masses of XMRV+ cells? why arent CF patients ravaged with cancer from insertional mutagenesis?), then the % connection is a lark. Its a side-effect distracting you from the real cause.
There is more to connecting a virus to a disease than simply comparing prevalence in diseased vs normal populations.
Once again, referring back to HHV8:
The seroprevalence of HHV8 in the general African population varies by country, but its anywhere from 25%-85%. Normal, healthy people. Not AIDS patients. Just people. Higher percentage than US HIV+ people.
This normally ‘harmless’ virus is more prevalent in certain areas of the world (Africa) than in others (US), and is ‘enriched’ in sick populations where its not normally so prevalent (US HIV).
It could be that XMRV is a US bug, like HHV8 is an African bug. Bugs that just tag along for the ride, and take advantage of immunocompromised people when the opportunity presents itself.
Connecting a disease to a virus takes a lot more than what XMRV proponents have now.
While Im sure they realize that (*wink!*), I wish they were doing a better job of communicating that to the public, and not pimping XMRV test kits to patients and doctors.